


Parenting (Done Right)

by HouseElfMagic



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e07 They Lied, Fix-It, Hot Chocolate, I swear, M/M, bo waldenbeck is a good father, but there isn't any, the father lukas deserves, tw: makes allusions to domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 05:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8698228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HouseElfMagic/pseuds/HouseElfMagic
Summary: His son had given up his motocross deal. Why?It’d been going great until Bo mentioned the Torrances putting Philip back in the system. Apparently they’d given up on the kid too, after all those lies were exposed back at that luncheon. He’d seen the anger on Lukas’s face, like he’d finally decided to be done with that kid’s influence, to be better. But then Lukas was running off to help this boy for some reason or another.Why?He raised the glass to his lips to take another sip.
...
AKA the Episode 7 fix-it we all deserve--and the father Lukas deserves.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I needed a fix-it for this episode. I refuse for Bo to be a douchebag, so here's Bo as a good father who's just struggling a little to connect with his son.

Bo sat with a glass of whiskey in front of him. It was honey and strong--his favorite. The glass was already mostly empty, despite having been refilled a few times now.

The level in the bottle was lower than he would like, but he found that even after drinking enough to be a little less aware of the world, he still had no understanding of what the hell had happened.

He blamed that Philip kid. Before he arrived in Tivoli, everything was fine. Lukas was alright, not involved in drugs or whatever the hell else that kid had gotten him involved in.

His son had given up his motocross deal. Why?

It’d been going great until Bo mentioned the Torrences putting Philip back in the system. Apparently they’d given up on the kid too, after all those lies were exposed back at that luncheon.  
He’d seen the anger on Lukas’s face, like he’d finally decided to be done with that kid’s influence, to be better. But then Lukas was running off to help this boy for some reason or another.

Why?

He raised the glass to his lips to take another sip.

Lukas’s dinner sat on the table, cold. He still wasn’t home. Bo sat across from that dinner plate--chicken and mashed potatoes--and wondered what the hell was going on.

He heard the faint sound of Lukas’s bike’s engine and put the glass down. He looked at it again--it was empty. He’d have to refill it.

The Waldenbeck farm was supposed to be safe, so the two didn’t even bother to lock the door. Bo heard Lukas come in and he glanced up to see the smile on his son’s face completely blank.

Was it drugs? Rose?

“Hey, Dad.” Lukas said quietly.

“Heat up your dinner.” Bo said, gesturing. He wouldn’t meet Lukas’s eyes. He didn’t know how to handle his son. He was half afraid he’d look up and Lukas’s eyes would be red from drugs.

Lukas silently picked up the plate and put it in the microwave, never meeting Bo’s eyes either.

“It’s been sitting there for a while, so... it only needs a minute.” He heard the anger beginning to lace his words and internally winced, but he had a right to be angry. He and his son used to get along so well. Now they feel worlds apart.

Bo heard the microwave beep as Lukas set the time and turned around slowly. He was hunched over, Bo noticed, trying to look small like prey before a predator.

“I wanted to tell you; I really did. I didn’t want to lie...” And Bo shook his head in disappointment. He’d been afraid that Lukas would confirm that he’d lied. Not for his own safety, but for some other reason.

He’d put that other boy through hell, and sure the other kid was a bad influence, but he didn’t deserve Lukas screwin’ with him like that. Bo stood up, holding a towel in his hands and ringing it for something to do with his hands. He felt helpless in a way he hadn’t felt since his wife’s death.

“... But I thought--I thought... that if I didn’t say anything, then it would just go away.”

He was mad. He had a right to be mad. His son had lied to him. What else had been a lie?

But his son had witnessed a triple homicide. Hid in a closet, Helen said.

It explained so much: the nightmares, the flinching, the hesitance to handle a gun. The lying, though Bo didn’t want to admit it.

He didn’t want his son to feel the need to lie to him, ever. That wasn’t how families should work, and sure their family might be a little bit broken, but that didn’t mean Bo had an excuse for failing to make Lukas feel like he could tell his father the truth.

Bo moved toward Lukas, keeping the towel in one hand, going forward (admittedly a little unsteadily) to grip his son in a powerful man-hug.

Lukas flinched back. Not in an automatic response of fear to a stranger, or to a gun, or anything of the like. He flinched back in fear of his own father.

Bo had never felt more like a failure in his entire life.

How had he managed to fuck up so badly that his own son was afraid of him?

Afraid that he’d yell at him? Afraid that he’d _hit him?_

Bo felt himself stumble back at the realization.

It was all his fault. His son was afraid of him.

He knew his eyes were wide in surprise and a little watery. Lukas looked up as his father moved away, staring in confusion as Bo sat down heavily in the seat, feeling exhausted.

His own son was afraid of him.

The microwave beeped, but no one paid it any attention.

“Lukas, go make two mugs of hot cocoa like your mama used to make. I think we need to have a long conversation.” Lukas looked taken aback and still nervous. How had he not seen this before? Was it willful ignorance? Negligence?

“D-dad, I-”

“Please, son.” He paused. “You remember how?”

“Yeah, dad.” Bo nodded and capped the liquor bottle. He’d had enough for tonight.

He found himself cataloguing all the interactions he’d had with his son lately, as if searching for where he went wrong. He was disturbed from his thoughts when Lukas sat a steaming mug in front of him, with a bag of mini-marshmallows in the center of the table.

Lukas was looking at the table and Bo considered how to proceed.

“I want--I want you to be honest with me. Have I been a bad father?”

“W-What, no! Dad, no, you’ve been--no, you’ve been fine.” Lukas said. Bo didn’t really feel any better.

“I always wanted to do good by you. I realize that I’ve messed up, but... Lukas, where did I go wrong? I thought we could tell each other anything.”

“Yeah, Dad.” Lukas said unenthusiastically. He stared into his mug of hot chocolate as if searching for the key to the universe.

“I don’t know how to fix things without knowin’ where I went wrong in the first place, son. I’m gettin’ old; you have to explain these things to me.”

“Nothing--nothing’s wrong, Dad. I’m fine. We’re fine.” Bo laughed sarcastically.

“You just flinched away from my trying to hug you like I was gonna hit you. I think that’s a pretty strong indication that somethin’ went wrong, Lukas.”

“I’m just growing up, Dad.”

“Am I not spending enough time with you? Cause I’m trying not to be one of those helicopter parents like on TV. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to control your life.”

“No, Dad. That’s not it.” Lukas said with a sigh.

“Am I not being affectionate enough? I know your mama used to do that way more than I ever did. I’m not good with that kind of stuff, but I will try. Honest, son.”

“That’s not it either, Dad.” Lukas was now looking visibly distressed and Bo just wanted to see his son smiling again.

“What is it then, Lukas? What can I do?”

“Nothing, Dad, okay? I--...”

“What?”

“I’ve been hanging out with Philip.” Bo blinked at the sudden change of subject.

“Now I’ve told you that boy--”

“He hasn’t done anything, Dad. I gave him the alcohol, and he was telling the truth about the cabin, and I... I lied about the drugs thing. I was just mad because he wouldn’t give me any.”

“What?! Lukas, you know drugs--”

“I know, okay?! He told me he wouldn’t give me any because he knew how dangerous they were.”

“Then why did you want drugs in the first place?!”

“Because I can’t sleep! Okay?! I can’t sleep because I hear gunshots and I see the killer and he’s going to shoot Ph--” Bo blinked again. Was he more tipsy than he realized.  
“Going to shoot who, Lukas?”

“M-Me.”

“Now don’t bullshit me, boy, you were gonna say Philip.” Lukas didn’t say a thing. Neither had touched their hot chocolate, and Lukas’s dinner remained untouched in the microwave.  
“Was he with you in the cabin?” Lukas nodded minutely.

“He was helping me film motocross for my sponsors.”

“Why would you think you’d need to hide that from me?” Bo couldn’t disguise the hurt in his voice. Lukas hunched into himself, but said nothing. Bo let the silence reign, hoping Lukas would finally say something. He wanted to fix things with his son, and he wasn’t gonna let a little discomfort keep him from patching things up with his only kid.

Lukas fidgeted as the silence continued and Bo noticed tears leaking out of his eyes. Lukas angrily brushed them off with the harsh fabric of his plaid shirt when he noticed them. Bo officially had no clue what was going on.

“Because we were making out, okay?” Bo blinked again, caught off guard.

“Rose was there?” He asked confused. Lukas trembled.

“No. No, it was just me and Philip.” Bo let out a breath very slowly as he reached forward for his hot cocoa, wishing suddenly that he hadn’t decided to stop drinking for the night.

“I think you need to start from the beginning.” Bo said. Lukas pulled his knees up to his chest in his seat and Bo wasn’t sure if that was an improvement, though it meant Lukas was less likely to run away.

“I’m gay, Dad.” Bo took a sip of his now lukewarm hot cocoa and a few marshmallows before realization set in.

“Son, that is not okay.” Tears kept coming down Lukas’s cheeks as he seemed to choke.

“You don’t get to lead a girl on like that.” Now Lukas blinked in shock, his mouth falling open in confusion.

“What?”

“Rose! Son, I don’t give a flying shit if you’re gay, but I will not let you lead that poor girl on!

“W-what?” Bo sighed.

“You’re Uncle Tommy, god rest his soul, was bi--no, pansexual was the word he used. I know he died when you were young, but I thought you realized that Uncle Nathan was his partner.”

“You--you’re not mad?”

“Why the hell would I be mad? Except about Rose; don’t think I’ve forgotten about that. Us Waldenbecks are honorable men, we don’t lead people on like that. And Philip! Does he know you’re dating Rose?”

“Y-yeah. He knows.”

“I ought to have a talk with the both of ya. That’s not fair to her--or really to him either. Now you listen to me, Lukas. You are gonna call that girl up and apologize. You are gonna ask to meet her and you are gonna tell her the whole truth and say sorry until it sinks in. Then you’re gonna call that boy of yours and tell him you’re sorry too. Do you understand me?” Lukas nodded weakly.

“Good. But I suppose that can wait until tomorrow. You’re dinners probably cold again by now, so you might want to put another thirty seconds on the microwave. I’ll fix us some more hot chocolate and you are gonna tell me what happened in that cabin, and then you’re gonna tell Sheriff Helen what happened.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“And don’t think you’re off for the drugs thing. You are not gonna get illegal drugs, but there’s probably some specialist in the city that you can see.”

“What, like a therapist?”

“Yeah. You ever heard of PTSD?”

“We talked about it in literature class.”

“Okay. Now, start from the beginning--the real beginning this time.” Lukas hugged his cocoa mug closer to his chest and kept a weak smile on his face as he described the first day he met Philip Shea, all the way up until he ran up to Helen with the silver gun wrapped in a flimsy towel.

Bo realized that he and his son were really communicating for the first time in years, and tried to keep a smile off his face so he wouldn’t worry his son.

He felt they were on the road to a good relationship.

“Now while we wait for Helen to get here, tell me more about Philip.”

“Well, gee, Dad, Philip’s awesome. He’s into photography! I got him a polaroid camera and he’s already in love with the thing. And he likes dogs, just like Gabe...”

It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment!


End file.
